Frankfurt

By Genevieve Paiement

Known primarily as Germany’s financial capital, the country’s fifth largest city is a bustling transport and trade fair hub. But scratch Frankfurt’s slick surface, and you’ll find a buzzing cultural scene and a rich historical legacy. This is, after all, the birthplace of Germany’s favourite son, playwright and novelist, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Apple wine and green sauce

It would be a crime to visit Frankfurt and not sample its culinary claim to fame, grünesosse (greensauce), a creamy blend of herbs and egg that’s scrumptious spooned over home-fried potatoes or schnitzel. Wash it all down with the region’s traditional drink of choice, apfelwein (apple wine or cider), at Adolph Wagner, a family-owned tavern where businessmen, stylish young couples and in-the-know tourists inhale steaming plates of sauerkraut, liver dumplings and other delectable staples of Hessian home cooking.

Looking for a different sort of dining experience? The Tigerpalast is as famous for its food as for its outlandish entertainment. Combining a bistro, a bar and a Mediterranean restaurant with a cabaret-style circus revue (think sequined contortionists and hairsprayed magicians), it may sound tacky, but its credentials are solid: The restaurant has been Michelin-starred since 1997.

Adolph Wagner, Schweizer Strasse 71, 49-69-612-565
Tigerpalast, Heiligkreuzgasse 16-20, 49-69-920-0220

Calling all culture vultures

Museum für Moderne Kunst

During the postwar years, while Frankfurt concentrated on building high-rise office towers and fostering economic growth, its cultural sector floundered. Thankfully, all sorts of initiatives helped to set things right during the 1980s ­– like the advent of the Museum Embankment, a cluster of museums and galleries along the picturesque banks of the Main River. Highlights include the Jewish Museum, the German Museum of Architecture and the renowned fine arts Städel Art Institute. In the city centre, the Goethe House (a reconstruction of the writer’s childhood homestead) and the Museum für Moderne Kunst (seven centuries of European art, with 2,700 paintings, 600 sculptures and 100,000 prints) are also of keen interest.

Jewish Museum, Untermainkai 14-15, 49-69-2123-5000
German Museum of Architecture, Schaumainkai 43, 49-69-2123-8844
Städel Art Institute, Schaumainkai 63, 49-69-605-9980
Frankfurt Goethe Museum and Goethe House, Grosser Hirschgraben 23-25, 49-69-138-800
Museum für Moderne Kunst, Domstrasse 10, 49-69-2123-0447

The sound of music

When it comes to music, you’re spoiled for choice in this city. The majestic old opera house (Alte Oper, opened in 1880) no longer hosts horn-helmeted divas but opens its stage to everything from chamber orchestras to jazz trios. The newer Schauspielhaus is home to the Frankfurt Opera as well as the Frankfurt Ballet – both world-renowned companies.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt’s hip-shaking set is drawn to the futuristic funhouse vibe of superstar DJ Sven Väth’s Cocoon Club complex, with its blend of avant-garde architecture, food and music. There are two restaurants: Silk, where diners recline on beds and the menu is Euro-Asian, and Micro, where nouveau-Austrian cuisine is served and DJs spin house music. The state-of-the-art club side is strictly for dancing, and the soundtrack is techno.

Alte Oper, Opernplatz, 49-69-13400
Schauspiel haus, Neue Mainzer Strasse 17, 49-69-2123-7333
Cocoon Club, U.F.O. Building, Carl Benz Strasse 21, 49-69-900-20505

Sleep in style

Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof

In a city dominated by tower-block hotel chains that service the conference industry, the 129-year-old Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof stands out as a bastion of Old World luxury and charm. The grande dame of Frankfurt hotels has an alluring leafy courtyard that’s a favourite afternoon cocktail spot among well-heeled locals. There are four swish restaurants on-site, a plush bar, a spotless Wellness Club with sauna and steam room, and 10 themed suites, including the 4,000-square-foot Presidential. The Hof’s so swanky, J-Lo saw fit to stay here the last time she swung through town.

For more contemporary tastes, the Radisson SAS Hotel is scheduled to open in November 2005. The hotel’s circular glass facade is an imposing architectural tour de force. The 428 rooms and suites were designed by hot Italian designer Matteo Thun with four themes: Chic, Fashion, Fresh and At Home. The lobby bar features a stunning hanging wine tower made up of 1,500 bottles of vino. There’s also modern Mediterranean fare, an oyster bar and a gym with a view of the skyline.

Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, Kaiserplatz, 49-69-21502
Radisson SAS Hotel, Franklinstrasse 65, 49-69-770-1550

(Genevieve Paiement was born in Montreal and lives in Sydney, Australia. She writes about travel and other lifestyle topics for newspaper and magazines.)

Getting There

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